Record

About Mortimer

Mortimer, North Carolina is a ghost town in Wilson Creek Township, Caldwell County, in the northwestern part of the state. Once a mill town with a population of around 800, it was founded in 1904 when the Ritter Lumber Company bought the land where Mortimer was built to house its workers.
From Wikipedia, "Mortimer, North Carolina", CC BY-SA 4.0.

This is a site record: what public sources say about Mortimer, gathered in one place. We haven't written a full guide yet, so history, current access and photos are still to come. Treat the status as unknown until a guide confirms it.

Map

Where Mortimer is

USGS topographic map around Mortimer — USGS topographic map, The National Map (public domain). The pin marks the coordinates in the record; old townsites are often a little off.

Historic maps

11 historic USGS maps cover Mortimer

Topographic sheets from the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain), oldest first. Older sheets often show the camp, mines and roads while the place was alive. The downloads are large map scans; USGS topoView shows them in the browser.

1905 Morganton sheet, 1:125,000 · GeoTIFF download
1953 Charlotte sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1954 Charlotte sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1956 Chestnut Mountain sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1956 Chestnut Mtn sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1956 Linville Falls sheet, 1:62,500 · GeoTIFF download
1960 Charlotte sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1962 Charlotte sheet, 1:250,000 · GeoTIFF download
1986 Hickory sheet, 1:100,000 · GeoTIFF download
1993 Chestnut Mountain sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download
1994 Chestnut Mountain sheet, 1:24,000 · GeoTIFF download

Directions

Getting there

Google Maps directions Apple Maps OpenStreetMap

Before you go

Many ghost town sites are on private land, active mining claims or tribal land. Check land status and ask permission.
Roads to old townsites are often unmaintained dirt. Map apps may route over closed or impassable tracks.
Removing artifacts from public land is illegal under federal and most state laws.

Nearby

Other sites near Mortimer

Straight-line distance to other mapped sites in our North Carolina index.

Henry River Mill Village27.3 mi SE · Burke
Lost Cove36.3 mi W · Yancey

Sources

ghosttowns.com, "Mortimer": county, roads, climate, best time to visit, remains.
Wikipedia, "Mortimer, North Carolina": coordinates and summary.
Wikidata Q14708050.
USGS GNIS 1021538.
USGS 3D Elevation Program, elevation at the coordinates.
USGS The National Map and Historical Topographic Map Collection (public domain).